Cottage Cheese Egg Salad is a healthy, high-protein, low carb and low fat version of classic egg salad. Using cottage cheese instead of mayonnaise, this irresistible salad is just as tasty without the fat. It makes a delicious breakfast, lunch, brunch or a snack.
Love eggs and cottage cheese? Also try my Cottage Cheese Egg Bake and Cottage Cheese Scrambled Eggs.
Cottage Cheese Egg Salad
This Cottage Cheese Egg Salad is delicious and makes a fabulous and easy breakfast, lunch or snack. Made with a delightful mixture of classic egg salad ingredients like hard-boiled eggs, Dijon mustard, celery, celery salt and pickle relish, this salad swaps unhealthy mayo for healthy cottage cheese. The tangy cottage cheese still gives the salad that creamy texture, but without the fat in mayonnaise. Plus, cottage cheese is naturally high in protein, vitamins and probiotics, making this a healthy meal anyone can enjoy. This is a high protein egg salad recipe everyone will enjoy.
I serve my Cottage Cheese Egg Salad with crackers, in a sandwich or as a wrap as an easy lunch. You can feel good eating this! Classic egg salad can be around 300 calories a serving, but my version has only 140 calories and 12 grams of protein. Even my twin boys loved this and asked for a second round.
This Cottage Cheese Egg Salad tastes amazing too! It's light, fluffy, tangy and savory flavors you love in egg salad but in a healthier package. Cottage Cheese is such a fabulous ingredient that's easy to add to so many recipes, giving it a healthy kick and added protein. In most cases, like this one, you don't even taste it! I also love serving it for breakfast in my Cottage Cheese Toast and Cottage Cheese Breakfast Bowls.
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Why You'll Love this Cottage Cheese Egg Salad...
- This Cottage Cheese Egg Salad is about HALF the calories as traditional egg salad.
- It has fluffy hard-boiled eggs, crunchy celery and a tangy mustard dressing... just like my Grandmothers.
- It's high in protein, making it a healthy option for a breakfast, lunch, brunch or snack.
- You can serve it in so many ways.
- You can also customize it in so many ways to fit your families tastes. I've included those ideas below.
Ingredients:
Here's an overview of what you'll need to make this Cottage Cheese Egg Salad, but keep scrolling for the full recipe amounts.
- Eggs: You'll need 6 eggs. You can use your favorite type. They will need to be hard-boiled before you start the recipe. I've included directions below to make hard-boiled eggs. My favorite way is in my DASH hard-boiled egg maker. It takes the guesswork out of cooking hard-boiled eggs, which can be a bit tricky.
- Cottage Cheese: Cottage Cheese is what replaces mayo or sour cream in this. You can use low-fat cottage cheese or full-fat cottage cheese depending on your dietary preferences. Full-fat will give you a creamier salad. I leave the cottage cheese chunky, but you can actually blend in a food processer before adding it to the egg salad to give it a creamier texture.
- Celery: Celery adds a bit of crunch to the salad, giving it some much needed texture.
- Dijon Mustard: Dijon mustard is a must-add ingredient to give the egg salad that traditional tang and flavor you love. Use your favorite brand.
- Pickle Relish: Adding pickle relish to salads like this is an easy way to add tangy flavor and pickles to the recipe. This is the way my Southern grandmother made egg salad!
- Celery Salt: I also love adding a touch of celery salt to give the egg salad that traditional taste. This was another key ingredient in my Grandmothers.
- Salt and Black Pepper
How to Boil Eggs:
Making boiled eggs for my Cottage Cheese Egg Salad can be tricky, but here are my favorite ways to do it.
- Hard-Boiled Egg Cooker: My go-to for making tricky hard-boiled eggs is my DASH hard-boiled egg maker. It takes ALL of the guesswork out of hard-boiled eggs and makes perfect ones every time. If you have struggled to make hard-boiled eggs at home, buy this gadget. It's less than $30 and worth it! After cooking the hard-boiled eggs in the cooker, make sure to transfer them to an ice bath to stop the cooking.
- Stovetop: Place the eggs in a pot and cover them with water. Bring the pot to a full boil and then reduce the heat to a gentle boil or simmer. Let them simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to cold water to stop the cooking process. Let them sit for 3-4 minutes before removing and peeling.
- Instant Pot: For large eggs, cook them for 8 minutes under high pressure. Do a quick release and transfer them to cold water to stop the cooking process. Also, let them sit for 3-4 minutes before removing and peeling.
Tricks & Tips for Hard-Boiled Eggs:
- You want to use older eggs. Use eggs that are at least a week old, are the best. Super fresh eggs don't peel as well.
- Peel them before transferring them to the fridge.
- Cool the eggs completely before peeling them.
Instructions:
This is an overview of the instructions to make Cottage Cheese Egg Salad, but the full detailed printable recipe is below in the recipe card.
- Cool your hard boiled eggs and peel them. Dice the eggs and set them aside. Dice both the egg whites and yolks.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the cottage cheese, Dijon mustard, celery, pickle relish, and celery salt.
- Carefully fold the diced hard boiled eggs into the cottage cheese mixture, being careful to not break up the eggs too much.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with crackers, in a sandwich or in a wrap.
Cottage Cheese Egg Salad Variations
I love Cottage Cheese Egg Salad as written, but here are some fun variations.
- Blend the Cottage Cheese: I like the texture of cottage cheese, but if you don't or prefer not to see the cottage cheese chunks in your egg salad, you can blend the cottage cheese into a food processor or blender before mixing the dressing. The recipe works both ways, it's just a matter of a texture preference.
- Other Veggies: Add other veggies like diced bell pepper, diced red onion, green onion, or jalapeno.
- Add Fresh Herbs: You can add fresh herbs like chives, fresh dill or parsley.
- Make it Lemony: Add some fresh lemon juice.
- Make it Spicy: Add some red pepper flakes.
FAQ
Storage & Leftovers
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Hard-boiled eggs have a short shelf life, so I would not stretch it longer than that. I would not freeze this recipe because it would turn out soggy.
Does Cottage Cheese Taste Good in an Egg Salad?
Yes! Cottage cheese has a subtle tangy taste, much like plain yogurt. It also has a creamy texture, making it the perfect addition to egg salad. Cottage cheese is one of those ingredients like is mild enough to easily add to other recipes, without changing the taste of the recipe. It absorbs the other flavors in the egg salad like the mustard, relish and celery salt, to transform into the perfect addition to the egg salad.
Can You Use Cottage Cheese Instead of Mayonnaise?
Yes! Cottage cheese is the perfect healthy, high protein substitute for mayo. This recipe doesn't use any mayo and subs cottage cheese.
Cottage Cheese Egg Salad Recipe
This Cottage Cheese Egg Salad recipe is such one for meal prep and to keep in your back pocket for a healthy snack or lunch. I love to make double batch to enjoy for a few ways. And my twins, who love hard-boiled eggs, always love to have this! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. Here are some ways to make it a meal.
Serving Ideas:
- Egg Salad Sandwich: Make it into an Egg Salad Sandwich by putting it between 2 slices of bread. You can also make an open-faced sandwich.
- In a Wrap: Serve it in a tortilla wrap with lettuce and sliced avocado.
- Lettuce Wrap: For a low-carb meal, use a large piece of lettuce to make it into an egg salad lettuce wrap.
- In a Salad: Add a scoop of it to a bed or greens or salad.
- With Crackers: Serve it with your favorite crackers.
More Recipes with Hard-Boiled Eggs:
More Cottage Cheese Recipes to Try:
- Cottage Cheese Egg Bake
- Cottage Cheese Eggs
- Cottage Cheese Alfredo
- Cottage Cheese Toast Ideas
- Cottage Cheese Breakfast Bowls
- Cottage Cheese Cookie Dough
- Cottage Cheese Ranch Dip
- Cottage Cheese Queso
- Cottage Cheese Pizza Bowl
If you make this Cottage Cheese Egg Salad, I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a comment and a star rating ★ below. Make sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook too!
Cottage Cheese Egg Salad
Ingredients
- 6 hard boiled eggs
- ½ cup cottage cheese
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ¼ cup celery, diced
- 1 tablespoon pickle relish
- ¼ teaspoon celery salt
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cool your hard boiled eggs and peel them. Dice the eggs and set them aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the cottage cheese, Dijon mustard, celery, pickle relish, and celery salt.
- Carefully fold the diced hard boiled eggs into the cottage cheese mixture, being careful to not break up the eggs too much.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with crackers, in a sandwich or in a wrap.
Notes
Nutrition
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